Agartala, March 21 (NationPress) The distinguished Tripura State Rifles (TSR), known for their election-related assignments across over 12 states, is set to be deployed for the forthcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam, as per officials' announcements on Saturday.

A high-ranking official from the Tripura Police informed that upon the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a total of ten TSR companies, consisting of 778 personnel, will be dispatched to the election-sensitive regions of West Bengal and Assam to ensure security during the Assembly elections.

The polling for the 294-member Assembly of West Bengal is scheduled to occur in two stages—April 23 (152 seats) and April 29 (142 seats). Meanwhile, the election for Assam's 126-member Assembly is set for April 9, with vote counting expected on May 4.

The official noted that two ad hoc TSR battalions, each made up of five companies, will be assigned to execute election-related responsibilities in Assam and West Bengal.

"The TSR (India Reserve Battalion) will operate in Assam and West Bengal as part of the Central forces. Commandants Amarjit Debbarma and Alok Bhattacharjee will oversee the TSR battalions," the official disclosed, requesting anonymity.

Initially, the MHA had sought the deployment of 25 TSR companies for the two states, but the Tripura government hesitated to allocate that many personnel due to two significant elections approaching in Tripura itself—the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections and the by-election for the Dharmanagar Assembly seat in North Tripura.

The critical elections for the 30-member TTAADC will be held on April 12, while the Dharmanagar Assembly by-election is set for April 9.

The TSR comprises 14 battalions, with 11 classified as India Reserve Battalions, which can be deployed nationwide upon MHA's request.

During the Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1, 2024, TSR personnel were actively engaged in polling operations across states like Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh.

In addition to providing security for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the India Reserve battalions of the TSR have participated in election duties across nearly all states, ensuring safety during both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Trained in counter-insurgency measures, TSR personnel have proven their capabilities in Tripura, significantly contributing to mitigating the long-standing insurgency issues in the northeastern state.

Since 2019, two TSR battalions, totaling around 2,000 personnel, including officers, have been stationed in the national capital under the Delhi Police, and in 2022, another battalion was deployed with South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in Chhattisgarh.

Currently, one battalion is also providing dedicated security for the drilling operations of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in Tripura.

(For inquiries, contact Sujit Chakraborty at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)